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  • Fabulous Las Vegas

    Fabulous Las Vegas

    My sons recently watched Ocean’s Eleven for the first time. They loved it. And now, like their father, it’s their favorite movie. The movie just speaks to you when you’re born and raised in Las Vegas. It awakens the Vegas Pride. The other day, I was telling a friend that I’ve noticed a shift in…


  • A Copilot for your Budget

    A Copilot for your Budget

    I will always remember the first time I read “The Millionaire Next Door.” It was life changing. The written description of savers and spenders would bring people to my mind that I knew and in some cases admired. The book helped me determine what path I would take toward self reliance. One of the main…


  • An Entry with a View

    An Entry with a View

    When it comes to journal writing, one might determine, “I don’t have anything to write about. My life is boring.” You might be right. Writing in your journal could be a real help though. I’ve often said that too many “boring” entries in a row might inspire you to try something new. It could be…


  • La Paz, The City in the Clouds

    La Paz, The City in the Clouds

    With an elevation of 12,000ft, La Paz is known as the city in the clouds. I have always been interested in Bolivia since my dad served a church mission there in the late 1970s. Recently I visited the breath-taking Bolivia. Here is a short photo tour:


  • PSA: Parisian Sweets Advice

    PSA: Parisian Sweets Advice

    In my attempt to write more this year I thought that I should tackle the most important things first:  Know the difference between a macaroon and a macaron. Most people aren’t aware there is a difference. The auto-correct on phones won’t help either — often adding that additional “o” as if it’s not the difference…


  • A certain number of words

    A certain number of words

    I want to be a better writer. There is only one way to do it. In the classic book “On Writing Well” we are reminded: You learn to write by writing. It’s a truism, but what makes it a truism is that it’s true. The only way to learn to write is to force yourself…


  • How to manually merge two Apple IDs to one

    Since 2020 is made for pain, I decided to make some big moves that I have been putting off for a while. The email migration took a while, but the new setup is so much better. My reliance on Google as a company is very minimal now. I am very happy with how this move turned…


  • They Stayed Up His Hands

    They Stayed Up His Hands

    One of the most inspired principles in the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the idea of presidencies. One man or woman is called to lead. It is up to them to make the difficult decision and move the work forward. It is their right to receive revelation over their…


  • Sixteen items of gratitude – Mission edition

    Sixteen items of gratitude – Mission edition

    Since there was so much time in the home office this year, I took the opportunity to scan my mission journal, separate it into days, add it to my current digital journal, and type out the pages so they would be searchable. With 820 pages of written journal, it was a big undertaking and it…


  • Twenty-one random reasons for gratitude

    Twenty-one random reasons for gratitude

    Here are 21 things that I am thankful for in my life: I am thankful for little birds that sit on our back patio and give us all something to smile about.  I am thankful for adults who know how to help kids feel safe and appreciated. It’s a skill I admire. 


  • What is wrong with them?

    What is wrong with them?

    Why have they lost their way so much? They want to take all the money from the most important things and give it to their own projects. The changes they make are going to hurt the economy and make us less safe.  I can’t even call them leaders. They make poor choices, their history is…


  • A Scorecard for Life

    A Scorecard for Life

    I enjoy early morning rounds of golf. The world is still quiet. The course is still calm. The rising sun makes for some beautiful photos. I snap a photo each morning to include in my journal for the day. Sometimes it will be my only good shot of the day. Some time ago, I scored…


  • Hope and Unity in a Divided World

    Hope and Unity in a Divided World

    Many of my friends and family will be returning to worship in church buildings soon. The first step back will be a shortened sacrament meeting with limited attendance. There will also be cautions in place around gathering, the passing of the sacrament, etc. Some actions will feel a little different at first but I am…


  • Will you stand forever?

    Nearly five years ago I sat with Lawrence E Corbridge and others in a church office. He was serving as a General Authority at the time and he was in Las Vegas to organize a new stake. I sat with him on Friday night then again on Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. The next day…


  • Sharing the First Vision in comfortable ways

    Sharing the First Vision in comfortable ways

    A few weeks ago I was sitting in a high council meeting of the Shadow Mountain Stake. I always look forward to these meetings where I can sit with this council. They’ve become such good friends and a critical support for me.  Each time we meet, I invite the members of the council to add…


  • An offer to stay connected

    An offer to stay connected

    We have a drawer full of iPods, iPads, Kindles, etc. They are not the most current release, but they’re operable and in good shape. We’d like to gift them out for any kids that don’t have a way to be connected right now. (Please don’t take them and sell them.) I know that requesting can…


  • The Christ Child

    This new film tells the Nativity story in the most historically accurate way possible and it’s better because of it. No frills. The visit of the wisemen was powerful in a way I’ve never appreciated before. What a gift! I’m looking forward to the Christmas season and all that comes with it.


  • The Power of Repetitious Teaching

    The Power of Repetitious Teaching

    Note: A portion of a talk I gave at the Shadow Mountain Stake Conference held May 2019 in Las Vegas, NV. — I recently conducted a social experiment on my children. Wait, let me phrase that another way. I recently taught my children something new. About a year ago, I decided that I wanted to…


  • An auto-close sliding glass door

    Summer is coming and bringing the heat and the bugs. If you’re still looking for a Father’s or Mother’s Day gift, this sliding glass door closer is wonderful. No more yelling “shut the door.”